Chapter 4
Van took off from his perch on the rooftop as soon as he saw the pillar of light. It was Hitomi! His wish had worked! He began to run through the city, knowing exactly where she was going to land. She was going to be at the bridge... Allen's bridge. He had been late once and had nearly lost her. He would not be late again.
He reached the courtyard moments later and saw a figure on the bridge. She was starting into the sky, and somehow he knew she was staring at her home. He stopped and watched as the girl bent over something on the ground. What was she doing? Suddenly she sat up, as if sensing something or hearing some distant cry, and turned towards him.
Green eyes met a gentle brown as their gazes connected, and his paralysis broke. He ran towards his goddess as quickly as his legs would allow. She must have wished this too! He thought joyfully. She must have!
"Hitomi!" He cried, and reached for her.
And then she was in his arms.
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Allen saw the pillar of light and couldn't believe his eyes! Hitomi was back? Did it have something to do with Milerna and Dryden's upcoming wedding? Or did it have something to do to with Van? Was Gaea once again headed to war?
"What is it Allen?" Came a soft voice from behind him.
"I don't know, Selena." He answered. "I think it is Hitomi. I better go check it out." He reached for his sword and belted it on. He tucked a strand of his long blonde hair behind his ear.
"Be careful, Brother." Selena warned, her cornflower blue eyes conveyed her worry.
Eyes of the same shade looked back gently, and he nodded. With that, he left the house at a run.
*******************************************************************
Hitomi stared at her home planet and strangely did not feel the longing she had felt two years ago... Two years... An eternity without Van... She smiled. She was truly home now.
Suddenly a groan reached her ears and her mouth fell open. Mina! Mina was in Gaea! She turned to see her beautiful cousin trying to get to her feet, but was unsuccessful. She had hit her head on the hard cobblestones of the bridge, ironically in the same spot she herself had struck her. Hitomi felt her cheeks grow warm. She fell to her knees to make sure she was okay. She felt for a pulse and found one. Mina was unconscious, but alive.
She's going to have one nasty headache when she wakes up, Hitomi thought to herself. And one horrible situation to swallow... She felt a wave of guilt. This was all her fault!
Then, without warning, she felt him. Van is here. She realized. She turned around and immediately met large brown eyes peering out of a handsome, tanned face. His unruly black hair still fell into his eyes, but he was taller with broad shoulders over slim hips. His face had lost its soft boy-ish look and had the chiseled appearance of a man's. Underneath the night's sky, with the Mystic Moon casting a soft glow about him, he was no longer handsome. He was beautiful...
Then she was running for him and he for her. He cried her name but she didn't hear. The wind was rushing in her ears and tears blinded her eyes... Then she was in his arms.
He clutched her to him and she hugged him back. Neither wished to let go and Hitomi once again felt her heart begin to beat with his. They were one. She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. That gentle kiss sealed their love forever.
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Allen watched the tender embrace with a small smile and a quiet longing. It had been a while since his he had felt a woman's tender embrace. He hadn't felt anything for another woman since Hitomi... Selena had become his primary worry, but now she was safe and sound, the emptiness inside of his heart had begun to grow stronger. The ache had been there since the death of Marlene... It was an ache even Milerna and Hitomi couldn't quite ease. There was always something missing. Seeing such a complete and undemanding love in Hitomi and Van made his heart cry out fiercely. Would he ever love that truly again?
"Van," He began, clearing his throat. Hitomi and Van pulled apart and stared at him with surprise. "I hate to interrupt, but we have a wedding banquet to attend tonight." He smiled. "But I think this time, Milerna will be happy to wait."
Van grinned and Hitomi laughed.
"Allen!" She cried, and raced into his open arms. He hugged her gently, and then released her to get a better look at his former lover.
"It's good to see you, Hitomi. I'm very happy that you have returned to us- although I hope it is for a good reason this time! No bad visions right?" Allen asked.
Hitomi giggled and shook her head. She backed away and took Van's hand again. They smiled lovingly at one another.
"No. I just wanted to come home." She said quietly.
Allen smiled and nodded, then clapped his hands together to break the silence. "Well, we still have a wedding banquet to attend, so we should probably get going. I'm sure the bride and groom will be overjoyed to see you!" He grinned.
"Bride and groom?" Hitomi questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Milerna and Dryden. They're getting married in a week. That's why I'm here in Astoria." Van explained quickly.
Hitomi's delighted smile caused a chuckle to rise in Allen's throat. Somehow he knew she would have been pleased at the news. Suddenly, a soft moan pierced the silence that had fallen between them. Hitomi's eyes went wide and Allen saw a figure pick itself up from the bridge. It held its head for a moment and he realized it was a woman by her smooth movements and full-blown curves. She was shaking her head as if to clear it and then she was staring hard at the night's sky.
In the dim light he saw her mouth drop open and instantly he knew Hitomi had not come alone. The girl's hand found her mouth and she turned towards them. The light from the Mystic Moon finally fell upon her and Allen's breath caught.
"Beautiful..." He whispered.
Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in silky golden streams. A large red-orange bow held half of it up and away from her large blue eyes that were as clear and warm as the summer sky. Her lips were full, and her features smooth and defined. She was tall and slender, her limbs long and graceful. Her skin was pale and flawless in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen... a mortal Aphrodite, and she was only in her nightgown!
She turned her impossibly blue eyes back to the sky and looked at Hitomi again. "Hi-Hitomi... Where?" She whispered, but that was all she managed before she began to fall.
"Mina!" Hitomi screamed, but Allen arrived there first. The girl fell into his arms easily and he cradled her close to him.
"I've got her Hitomi." He felt her head and she groaned as he touched the side. "She's got one nasty bump though, may be a concussion. Let's get her inside."
He lifted her gracefully and headed for the castle. Hitomi followed at his heels and Van wasn't far behind.
Van took off from his perch on the rooftop as soon as he saw the pillar of light. It was Hitomi! His wish had worked! He began to run through the city, knowing exactly where she was going to land. She was going to be at the bridge... Allen's bridge. He had been late once and had nearly lost her. He would not be late again.
He reached the courtyard moments later and saw a figure on the bridge. She was starting into the sky, and somehow he knew she was staring at her home. He stopped and watched as the girl bent over something on the ground. What was she doing? Suddenly she sat up, as if sensing something or hearing some distant cry, and turned towards him.
Green eyes met a gentle brown as their gazes connected, and his paralysis broke. He ran towards his goddess as quickly as his legs would allow. She must have wished this too! He thought joyfully. She must have!
"Hitomi!" He cried, and reached for her.
And then she was in his arms.
*******************************************************************
Allen saw the pillar of light and couldn't believe his eyes! Hitomi was back? Did it have something to do with Milerna and Dryden's upcoming wedding? Or did it have something to do to with Van? Was Gaea once again headed to war?
"What is it Allen?" Came a soft voice from behind him.
"I don't know, Selena." He answered. "I think it is Hitomi. I better go check it out." He reached for his sword and belted it on. He tucked a strand of his long blonde hair behind his ear.
"Be careful, Brother." Selena warned, her cornflower blue eyes conveyed her worry.
Eyes of the same shade looked back gently, and he nodded. With that, he left the house at a run.
*******************************************************************
Hitomi stared at her home planet and strangely did not feel the longing she had felt two years ago... Two years... An eternity without Van... She smiled. She was truly home now.
Suddenly a groan reached her ears and her mouth fell open. Mina! Mina was in Gaea! She turned to see her beautiful cousin trying to get to her feet, but was unsuccessful. She had hit her head on the hard cobblestones of the bridge, ironically in the same spot she herself had struck her. Hitomi felt her cheeks grow warm. She fell to her knees to make sure she was okay. She felt for a pulse and found one. Mina was unconscious, but alive.
She's going to have one nasty headache when she wakes up, Hitomi thought to herself. And one horrible situation to swallow... She felt a wave of guilt. This was all her fault!
Then, without warning, she felt him. Van is here. She realized. She turned around and immediately met large brown eyes peering out of a handsome, tanned face. His unruly black hair still fell into his eyes, but he was taller with broad shoulders over slim hips. His face had lost its soft boy-ish look and had the chiseled appearance of a man's. Underneath the night's sky, with the Mystic Moon casting a soft glow about him, he was no longer handsome. He was beautiful...
Then she was running for him and he for her. He cried her name but she didn't hear. The wind was rushing in her ears and tears blinded her eyes... Then she was in his arms.
He clutched her to him and she hugged him back. Neither wished to let go and Hitomi once again felt her heart begin to beat with his. They were one. She lifted her head and pressed her lips to his. That gentle kiss sealed their love forever.
**********************************************************************
Allen watched the tender embrace with a small smile and a quiet longing. It had been a while since his he had felt a woman's tender embrace. He hadn't felt anything for another woman since Hitomi... Selena had become his primary worry, but now she was safe and sound, the emptiness inside of his heart had begun to grow stronger. The ache had been there since the death of Marlene... It was an ache even Milerna and Hitomi couldn't quite ease. There was always something missing. Seeing such a complete and undemanding love in Hitomi and Van made his heart cry out fiercely. Would he ever love that truly again?
"Van," He began, clearing his throat. Hitomi and Van pulled apart and stared at him with surprise. "I hate to interrupt, but we have a wedding banquet to attend tonight." He smiled. "But I think this time, Milerna will be happy to wait."
Van grinned and Hitomi laughed.
"Allen!" She cried, and raced into his open arms. He hugged her gently, and then released her to get a better look at his former lover.
"It's good to see you, Hitomi. I'm very happy that you have returned to us- although I hope it is for a good reason this time! No bad visions right?" Allen asked.
Hitomi giggled and shook her head. She backed away and took Van's hand again. They smiled lovingly at one another.
"No. I just wanted to come home." She said quietly.
Allen smiled and nodded, then clapped his hands together to break the silence. "Well, we still have a wedding banquet to attend, so we should probably get going. I'm sure the bride and groom will be overjoyed to see you!" He grinned.
"Bride and groom?" Hitomi questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Milerna and Dryden. They're getting married in a week. That's why I'm here in Astoria." Van explained quickly.
Hitomi's delighted smile caused a chuckle to rise in Allen's throat. Somehow he knew she would have been pleased at the news. Suddenly, a soft moan pierced the silence that had fallen between them. Hitomi's eyes went wide and Allen saw a figure pick itself up from the bridge. It held its head for a moment and he realized it was a woman by her smooth movements and full-blown curves. She was shaking her head as if to clear it and then she was staring hard at the night's sky.
In the dim light he saw her mouth drop open and instantly he knew Hitomi had not come alone. The girl's hand found her mouth and she turned towards them. The light from the Mystic Moon finally fell upon her and Allen's breath caught.
"Beautiful..." He whispered.
Her long blonde hair cascaded down her back in silky golden streams. A large red-orange bow held half of it up and away from her large blue eyes that were as clear and warm as the summer sky. Her lips were full, and her features smooth and defined. She was tall and slender, her limbs long and graceful. Her skin was pale and flawless in the moonlight. She was the most beautiful being he had ever seen... a mortal Aphrodite, and she was only in her nightgown!
She turned her impossibly blue eyes back to the sky and looked at Hitomi again. "Hi-Hitomi... Where?" She whispered, but that was all she managed before she began to fall.
"Mina!" Hitomi screamed, but Allen arrived there first. The girl fell into his arms easily and he cradled her close to him.
"I've got her Hitomi." He felt her head and she groaned as he touched the side. "She's got one nasty bump though, may be a concussion. Let's get her inside."
He lifted her gracefully and headed for the castle. Hitomi followed at his heels and Van wasn't far behind.